TRADITIONAL BOOKS OR E-BOOKS?

TRADITIONAL BOOKS OR E-BOOKS?

By Ms.Shikha Mishra

Department of Information Technology

(2018-20)

                             

We currently live in a world where people prefer online newspapers, books and magazines than ever before. We no longer need to sit in crowds, in trains and buses getting inky fingers trying to continuously turn the pages over of a newspaper or carry around heavy bulk of books everywhere. Instead with a quick flick of a switch on our tablets and other reading gadgets we can easily gain access to a large variety of books, magazines and newspapers in one go. As a result, e-books are gaining widespread popularity recently and one question that always remains the most debatable is- Which is better? A traditional book or an E-book? Well, just like everything, both of these have their own pros and cons. But one thing is sure- you will not go wrong with either one.

Even though e-book readers have become a common sight around the globe, but traditional books still have their enthusiasts. According to reports by publishers, sales of e-books are doubling each year but still the total amount of traditional books sold at present is still greater than the total amount of e-books sold. But the recent trends depict that in years to come, e-books will gain more and more customers and will completely take over the market. This is because of the feasibility and easy access of e-books.

One of the most vibrant features of e-books is that it is very portable. E-books can be carried anywhere and everywhere as they weigh zero and require no space. Just a sort of device is needed to read it- either PDF-Reader on a personal computer, laptop, tablets or mobile phones or specialized e-book reading devices such as an Amazon Kindle. So if one travels a lot, e-books allow them to bring a whole library with themselves wherever they go. Also, e-books are way cheaper than traditional books. Some e-books are even available free of cost on internet. Even in the long run, e-books are cheaper because there are no printing charges and paper costs associated with them. Another advantage that an e-book provides is that it removes the problem of light adjustments. Even if you are in a dark room with no light source coming in, you can easily read on your device. The font size can also be altered as per the need which cannot possibly be done in case of traditional books. Also, the e-books at some point prove to be environment-friendly as well, as there no involvement of paper in it.

But still the enthusiasts of traditional books proclaim their love for the printed words of a book, the feel of the paper, the experience of holding, owning and reading a traditional paper book. There is still some appal to holding a book in your hands to have full experience of reading, some people say. Also, the books kept in the book shelves add a touch of elegance and luxury to the room. Shelves full of books are a beautiful sight to see. Some other advantages of paper books can be that they can be resold to other customers, which is not possible in case of e-books. There is no need of electricity or batteries to keep the reading devices charged.

And let’s face it; we’re never going to get that comforting smell of paper or the weight of a good book in our hands when we read an e-book. Paper books bring back memories. Atleast to people of our generation and the generations before, who grew up with paper books. Every time you open a book after a very long time or a really old book as such and see the tan spots or the smell, you feel a bit nostalgic.

So, I personally believe that even if the technology goes on getting advanced and the market gets flooded with e-books, there will always be people like me who would buy the traditional paper books.

A Journey from Botany to HRM.

A Journey from Botany to HRM.

"There is no pause to success, when you get determined"

Ms. Tulika Sneha, XISS Batch - 2016-2018, shares her experience on bagging a PPO from Tata Steel

#StudentSpeaks #XISSRanchi

A graduate in Botany stepped foot in the Xavier Institute of Social Service on 18^th of June 2016. Given the background of her education she was in great dilemma whether she’ll be able to bag a job on campus or will be thrown out of the selection procedures for the afore mentioned reason. But none the less she stared her 2yr long journey with a determination to stay on top of her class and show to all how serious she was about her decision of choosing XISS as a launch pad for her career in corporate. With time came the placement season and after clearing her psychometric test of Tata Steel she sat for her GD/PI. The interview was short which made her nervous if it meant bad, but the results came and she got through along with 2 of her classmates. 

The Big day was celebrated along with the “Diwali Celebration” at her Social Service Field Work Centre which made it all the more special. That nervous botany graduate was me, Tulika Sneha of HRM 2016-18.

            My experience of working at Tata Steel for 2months was splendid. It was a work full of challenges which I already expected since TSL gave us live projects. The guidance of my mentors, my hard work and the blessings of my parents and professors finally paid off when on 18^th August 2017 I received the mail of being offered the PPO. I couldn’t be happier and I know now that this is the place where anyone can make a fresh start to a happy new journey in the corporate world. And today I stand at a place where I can give a few tips to the juniors- 

*You will not be judged on your educational background so it doesn’t matter if you have a B.Sc or B.A or B.Tech degree, just be through with your subject matter, Past as well as Present one.

*Be confident in the interview, the length of your PI is not proportionate to its quality.

Also work with all your might in your SIP, these two months will give you a lot to learn. All the best to the juniors for their summer placements as well as the second year for their final placements.

Institutional Visits at XISS - An Experience

Institutional Visits at XISS- An Experience

It has been two months already in XISS, and honestly, it passed in a blink of an eye. I call it a roller coaster ride, with the lyrical classes with regular drum beats of assignments followed by the tunes of Urban field work (UFW)! Well, apart from these, there were occasional institutional visits (IVs), two to be precise, which ensured our excitement level doesn’t lessen and the hunger of learning never gets satiated. Here, I would narrate my experience of the the IVs. 

Just having knowledge based on lectures has a very limited scope pertaining to the skills acquired. For one, students will always begin their career as a novice who has zero experience in this sector. Two, they will no longer be in a learning environment, which means that the new work process could be unpleasant and unsatisfactory. Therefore, at least to prepare a student for the rigors of a working environment, it is important to get them acclimatized to the real world. In the current scenario, the education system in our country has become complacent. Complacent with regard to keep up with the fast-pacing needs of this generation. And therefore, corners have been chopped off to fit the situation. So has the mindset of the system which advocates the idea that students will eventually learn things during their career. Although, this idea holds to a certain extent but yet one cannot ignore the importance of practical exposure, in any field of study. Here comes the role of IVs, designed by the XISS for enhancing the learning aspect of the Rural Management students. By testing the text knowledge with the context that is acquired in the field area and to stimulate thinking, it gives an opportunity to get a picture of how things work at an institutional set up. It helps in extensive grassroots connect and developing understanding of the intricacies behind the modus operandi of different institutions is itself an unique experience. 

The institutes connect to various institutes, NGOs, SHGs and also the reach of the faculty to various district level governmental bodies added the cherry on the cake. It was knowledge enriching and a great learning experience throughout. My first experience was at the Arouse foundation, Gumla, an NGO that began as an outreach program in 1978. During the interactive session with the Director, Fr. Anuranjan Purty S.J., Rector Fr. Christopher Lakra S.J and the Project Officer, Srijan Kishore, I understood the complexities and challenges faced by an NGO in context to the financial and political affairs. The institution closely works with a village, Salyatoi, for encouraging organic mode of farming technique. My group was then taken to that village, where we were given an opportunity to communicate with the villagers. What struck me the most was the anecdote shared by Bandha Pradhan, who was the Gram Vikas Samitee Adhyaksh of Salyatoi. The villagers had no proper occupation due lack of land for irrigation during early eighty’s. They conceived a plan for changing the river’s stream in another direction such that they get sufficient land for agricultural usage and thereby to make a living. These families took the risk of contributing a sum of   ₹ 2000/family and bought a JCB machine. That year their money and efforts, both went in vain. Next year, they began afresh and succeeded. Today the village is a proud producer of rice, potatoes and a number of vegetables under the “Machan Kheti” technique. Inputs like teaching and encouraging the villagers to adopt newer techniques such as the System of rice intensification (SRI) is provided by the Arouse Foundation. Adoption of organic farming by the villagers is another goal for which the institution is working for. 

The next visit was to Khunti, where the group was taken to Asha Kiran Shelter home, which works for rehabilitation of rescued tribal girls from the flesh trade, through formal education and vocational skill development. Their objective as they state is to “turn their scars into stars”. There was Naxal infiltration inside the shelter home post inception in 2009, yet the pillars of the institution stand upright and also they are about to begin with their endeavor of opening up a health center. The very same day we visited “Torpa Rural Development Society for Women”, an SHG which works for livelihood of women. They are involved in Lac cultivation and processing. They have had an award winning initiative of preparing and marketing a health drink which earned a profit of 2.5 lakhs in a period of three to four months. 

In a scurry, we also paid a visit to the District Office of Khunti, where we interacted with the DC, Dr. Manish Ranjan, who gave us a chance to peep into their work milieu. The structured offices and the way they connect to various other districts of the state was shown and explained by the staff there. This, I believe was again an add on to the classroom understanding of the developmental organizations. 

The two visits, no wonder, helped in indulging in a better way with what we study. And also, what adds to the skillset is the individual report that each student provides after imbibing the whole day’s learning, which is all about synthesizing the entire experience into one coherent whole. 

I always believed that connecting to the practicality of matters always wins over innumerable classroom sessions. It should be a concomitant process to make it more stirring, exactly like thousands of self-study materials on how to drive cannot be useful unless one gets on the vehicle and tries to ride it, along with the learning.

 “Machan Kheti” at Salyatoi village,Near Gumla.

Group of twenty-five students along with the Project Officer of Arouse Foundation, Mr.Srijan Kishore,an XISS alumnus, few other XISS alumni and Asst.Prof. Niranjan Sahoo at Gumla.

At District office of Khunti with 

the District CommissionerDr. Manish Ranjan and other officials.

 Students at Asha Kiran Shelter Home,Khunti.

At “Torpa Rural Development Society for Women” 

with Daphne Sequeira, Sister & Directress of the organisation.

Courtesy: Ms. G Geeta Kumari

Department of Rural Management (2017-2019)